To be more precise : the Xanov variation of the Yanitch line seems to offer better prospects after White's move 25. Befote that tehre is plenty of sidelines that are given an = evaluation, and two years from now this better prospects point will heve shifted to move 31.

I've written it before : from an economical point of view this is sheer madness. A man that starts digging in a square meter of farmland stands a better chance of finding something worth the trouble than a chess player delving into a so called better line.

If there was we would see 1.b4 more often on toplevel, don't you think? I am not at all against playing stuff like 1.b4 and 1.f4 on amateur level. I mean, I have had great fun with the Danish Gambit and the Morra Gambit. It is just silly to suggest that such openings fall in the same category as the Ruy Lopez.

To prove that White can equalize with 1.b4.

Markovich wrote on 06/29/09 at 16:42:29:


Of course there is no refutation.

1... e5 is (in my opinion) blacks best choise. But you won´t get more than equality.

Holbox wrote on 06/29/09 at 13:11:15:


The Sokolsky's refutation exists, and it is 1...e5 =+.  Well, that is perhaps slightly exaggerated, but not much.

Holbox wrote on 06/05/09 at 11:31:33:


Concerning An Explosive Chess Opening Repertoire for Black and its anti-Sokolsky line in Chapter 29 B): 1.b4 d6 2.Bb2 e5 3.c4 f5.

The new book, The Sokolsky Opening: 1.b4 in Theory & Practice, deals with the line in detail in Chapter 8. Moreover, the book's annotated illustrative games number 39, 45, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79 and 80 start with those moves (or reach the position).

What do you know  about this book? Is the setup (d6,e5,f5) recomended by J&T in their explosive repetoire book covered?

Thx